Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers introduced HB 1826, a bill on Corrections, to the Texas House on Monday, Jan. 13 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’relating to depression screenings for certain women in county jail or in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill requires depression screenings for pregnant inmates or those who have given birth within the past year while they are in county jails or under the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Screenings are mandated once per trimester during pregnancy, once in the six-week period after childbirth, and at six and 12 months postpartum. Additionally, the bill instructs the adoption of rules and procedures to ensure minimum standards for prisoner care, including mental health services, nutritional requirements, and applicable medical needs. It mandates establishing guidelines regarding visitation rights, safety measures, and the provision of feminine hygiene products. The Commission on Jail Standards must enact these rules by Dec. 1, 2023, and the bill is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.
Rhetta Andrews Bowers, the vice chair of the House Committee on Local & Consent Calendars, proposed another five bills during the 89(R) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and a member of the House Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency.
Bowers graduated from Texas Southern University with a BA.
Rhetta Andrews Bowers is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state’s 113rd House district. She replaced previous state representative Cindy Burkett in 2019.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(R) | HB 1825 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the exchange of certain information between the Department of Family and Protective Services or certain foster care services contractors and a state or local juvenile justice agency |
| 89(R) | HB 1824 | 01/13/2025 | Related to monitoring domestic violence offenders through advanced tracking systems to enhance victim safety |
| 89(R) | HB 1822 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the jurisdiction of a juvenile court over certain persons and to the sealing and nondisclosure of certain juvenile records |
| 89(R) | HB 1821 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to information regarding the procedures and available resources for the sealing of juvenile records |
| 89(R) | HB 1820 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the expunction of arrest records and files when a grand jury fails to find that probable cause exists to believe the alleged offense was committed |
| 88(R) | HB 4764 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue in certain municipalities |
| 88(R) | HB 5083 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the permissible uses of the allotment for students with dyslexia or related disorders under the Foundation School Program |
| 88(R) | HB 5086 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to an application for a charter for an open-enrollment charter school and to the expansion of a request for the revision of a charter for an open-enrollment charter school |
| 88(R) | HB 5087 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the regulation of abortion, including abortion complication reporting and the repeal of certain laws prohibiting abortion |
| 88(R) | HB 5264 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the adoption and use of certain performance indicators to measure and evaluate career school or college programs |
| 88(R) | HB 2042 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to the use, possession, delivery, or manufacture of testing equipment that identifies the presence of fentanyl, alpha-methylfentanyl, or any other derivative of fentanyl |
| 88(R) | HB 2043 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to a criminal justice system pretrial and sentencing database established by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System |
| 88(R) | HB 2044 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to depression screenings for certain women in county jail or in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
| 88(R) | HB 2045 | 02/08/2023 | Relating to an exemption from court reporter transcript fees for a county that provides and maintains court reporting equipment |
| 88(R) | HB 874 | 12/02/2022 | Relating to an exemption to the cancellation of a water right for nonuse |
| 88(R) | HB 567 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to discrimination on the basis of hair texture or protective hairstyle associated with race |
| 88(R) | HB 568 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to education and training for peace officers on interacting with persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias |
| 88(R) | HB 569 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to activities the tolerance of which may constitute maintenance of a common nuisance |
| 88(R) | HB 572 | 11/14/2022 | Relating to the confiscation of packaged, unopened fireworks by a municipality that regulates fireworks |
